An Indonesian tax expert and a ground breaking mental health advocate have been awarded the two inaugural Hadi Soesastro Australia Awards for international scholarship at a ceremony in Canberra.

The award is named in honour of eminent Indonesian economist the late Professor Hadi Soesastro, who died in 2010, and was one of Indonesia’s foremost public intellectuals.

The award named in his honour is funded by the Australian Government and provides $25,000 for young Indonesian leaders in their field involved in high level research and skill development at Australian Universities.

In presenting the award, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the late Professor Soesastro was an influential leader in Indonesia.

"He was a great friend of Australia” Ms Bishop said.

"He set up the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, he was an Adjunct Professor at the Australian National University.

"He had deep, enduring and lasting connections with our country.

"It is fitting that we should award the Hadi Soesastro Prize to brilliant young Indonesians who are undertaking studies here."

Canberra-based student Bimo Wijayanto was presented with his award by Ms Bishop at Parliament House.

Bimo is a PhD at the University of Canberra, examining ways to make the Indonesian taxation system more equitable.

Mental health expert and Australia Award recipient Diana Setiyawati awaiting the birth of a child was unable to travel from Melbourne - where she is doing her PhD - to Canberra for the ceremony.

Mrs Setiyawati is from Aceh and was heavily involved in psychological support after the Aceh Tsunami.

Her PhD at the University of Melbourne is focused on encouraging the establishment of psychologists in primary health care settings in Indonesia